Bed and partition construction



Feb. 19, 1952 D. A; HUNT BED AND PARTITION CONSTRUCTION 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Nov.V 15, 1951 Feb. 19, 1952 D. A. HUNT BED AND PARTITION CONSTRUCTION 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed NOV. l5 '1951 night.

Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED srs-'re s ear ENT OFFICE 2,586,232 BED AND PARTITION CONSTRUCTION Dick A. Hunt, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. Application November 15, 1951,-seria1ivorzsefisoY 4 Claims. (ci. 2li-1.11)

This invention relates to dwelling houses and, more particularly, to a combined wall bed and moveable partition arrangement for yconverting a living room into two bedrooms, andvice Versa.

The invention is intended for houses wherein rooms are of dual character, functioning as living rooms by day and bedrooms by night. Here-- tofore, folding or closet beds and the like disappearing furniture have performed some of the functions of the subject invention, but the prior art has fallen short in the category of providing the additional rooms, numberwise, necessary at The object now is to provide a house structure having a comparatively large room, the interior of which is adapted to be open, from end to end, during its usage as a living room, but having one or more partitions pivoted on one side wall so that the partition may lie against the wall when the room is undivided and sothat the partition may be swung out across'the'room to divide the living room into, separate bed chambers. Another object is that part ofthe pivoted partiti-on shall constitutev the anchorsupport vfor one end of a bed pivoted thereto, and thatthe bed, when swung upwardly 'against the partition, shall nest in a closet provided therefor in the wall against which the partition lies when the room is undivided.

Another object is to provide a room construc-` tion including a bed closet and bed-carrying partition, wherein the partition may be swung inwardly against or outwardly from a wall of the room, and wherein the porti-on of the partition other than that which constitutes an anchor headboard for the bed, serves to mask a built-in vanity or the like cabinet structure built into the room wall adjacentthe bed closet. A doorway in the partition is to be arranged for access to the vanity when the partition masks the vanity.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention f it is intended that there be two partitions having corresponding edges swingably mounted adjacent one another on one wall of a convertible room so that the partitions may be swung out antifas-v tened, Iback to back, for converting the room into two chambers, it being further intended that each partition carry an upwardly swingingvbed thereon, and that bed closets be provided in the wall of theroom adjacent the pivotal axes ofthe partitions. In addition, an object is to provide collapsible doors on the lixed partitions' of the house substantially opposite the Vbed closets," the ,free edges of the partitions serving as'jambsfforv the 'collapsible'doorsL Il iese and otherobjects will be apparent' from 2 the following specification and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a house embodying the invention, and,-

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the interior of the house-showing on the left-hand side the parti-- tion, bed and vanity arrangement when one of the partitions is extended for night-time use, and showing, on the right-hand side, the other partition when arranged fordaytime use.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote similar elements and prime'numerals denote corresponding elements previously described. the'house indicated generally at 2 includes front and rearV walls 4 and 6, respectively, and side walls 8 and Ill. The exe terior walls are preferably formed of panel'sec--` tions, not detailed, so that the houser lendsitself to prefabrication, atleast for its major components.Y The house further includes conventional foundation and` roof, not shown, windows I2, and front and side doors I4 and I6.

The" utility of the invention willloe most apparent from the plan shown Fig. 1 wherein the right-hand portonof the house is divided into functional'areas representing the kitchen I 8, dining area 2E),A and Vbath 22, suitable closets Vbeing provided as indicated. The left-hand portion of the house as seen in Fig. 1 includes partitions 24 and 25 which, in the daytime, lie parallel to side-` wall AI 0 to adapt the area for use as a living room, the area of which is designated generally at 26. As vwill be apparent hereinafter, the livir'igroom may be divided into two separate bedlchambers by the partition structure and arrangement with which the invention is primarily concerned. Since the elements forming eachbed chamber are the simple reverse of one another, Yone set of the elements will be designated by standard reference'numerals, it beingunderstood that the elements in the other set bear corresponding prime numerals.

Built in theinner' side of house wall Illand spaced from each end thereof is a vanity 30, 38' including' the usual counter top and, if,V desired, other elements suchV asa. mirror and g drawers customarilyassociated'with such articles ofperf sonal'furniture, .the details of whicharej unimportant here'other'than to note that it is desirabletha't they be concealed from view ina room' whichistofurlction as a living room'. Substantially at thecenter `of side wall. I0 is aixed a stub partition'32, adjacent the free edge of which are 'movably supported `a pair of' swinging4 parti-g tions"34," 34. mounted for` swinging Vmovement about vertical axes or adjacent the free edge of stub partition 32 by pivots 36, 36' and 31, 31', supported in suitable bearings in ceiling 38 and iloor 40, respectively, of the house. From the drawings, it will be apparent that the swinging partitions 34, 34' may, either one or both, be swung out to divide living room 35 into separate bed chambers A and B, and that either of partitions 34, 34 may be swung inwardly so as to be parallel with side wall lll and thereby conceal the vanity lying therebehind. Conventional fasteners, not shown, are provided on the free edge of each of the swinging partitions 34, 34' for selectively fastening them in closed position in which they lie parallel with side wall IG, or together in open position wherein they separate the bed chambers. In addition, the free edges 42, 42' of the partitions constitute door jambs and have suitable iastenings 44, 44 for connection with collapsible doors 46, 4S respectively mounted on the free edges of central partitions 24 and 25 so that the bed chambers may be completely closed on from the remainder of the house.

Referring now to Fig. 2 it will be seen that swinging partition 34 is rollably supported on floor 40 by a caster 4l near its free end and that on one side thereof, near its pivots 36 and 3l is rigidly affixed a low frame 4S, the outer portion of which is also supported by casters 49. Pivoted at 50 to the outer end portion of mounting frame 48 is a bed frame 52 having head posts 54 connected to mounting frame 48 by counter-balance springs 59 so as to assist the upward swinging of the bed frame and bed elements, including the spring and mattress (not shown), conventionally supported within the bed frame. At the foot of the bed are a pair of upwardly swinging legs 6D pivoted to the bed frame as indicated at 62 so that they may be swung inwardly against the bottom of the bed when the latter is to be stored. In each partition, there is a door 64, 64 pivoted as at 66, 66 for providing access to the Vanities during daytime use of the assembly, and having conventional recessed latch handles.

In describing the typical cycle of use or the invention, it will be assumed that partitions 34, 34 are swung out so as to divide living room l into bed chambers A and B and that bed frames 52, 52' are extended outwardly so as to support the bed as shown in full. lines in the lefthand portion of Fig. 2. When it is d-esired to convert the bed chambers into an unbroken living room, the bed frames are swung upwardly about their pivots 50 to the position shown in dotted lines, and thereupon partitions 34, 34' are swung inwardly about their pivots 36, 3S and 31, 31 until they lie parallel with side wall IB. This condition is illustrated in the right-hand portion of Fig. 2 wherein it will be apparent that the swinging partitions now form a substantially continuous false inner wall along one side of living room l0 and that the beds nest in the bed closets, i. e., the spaces at either side of stub partition 32, and the Vanities are completely concealed from view. Access to either vanity may be gained by opening the door 54 or 64 without necessitating movement of either partition. When it is desired to convert either or both halves of living room l0 for night-time use, either or both partitions 34, 34 may be swung outwardly to the position described at the start of the cycle and the beds may thereupon be swung outwardly to the position described at the start of the cycle and the beds may thereupon be swung down into operating position. When collapsible doors 46,

,pair of side walls, a

46 are brought into play, bedchambers A and B are completely isolated from one another and from the remainder of the house.

The invention is not limited to the structure detailed above, but is intended to cover all substitutions, modications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a house structure including a room having a floor, side and end walls, a stub partition extending outwardly from one of said side walls, a pair of bed closets in said one side wall on respectively opposite sides of said stub partition, a pair of moveable partitions each having one end thereof supported in said room by vertical pivots adjacent the free end of said stub partition, said moveable partitions each being swingable about their pivots between a fully retracted position in which they lie parallel to said one side wall so as to mask said bed closets and a fully extended position in which the partitions lie back-to-back transversely of said room, mounting means for pivotally supporting upwardly folding beds on each of said moveable partitions adjacent the pivoted ends thereof whereby said beds nest in said closets when the partitions are extended, said partitions being of less than room width whereby, when the latter are extended, their free ends are spaced from the wall of said room opposite to said one side wall, means for connecting the free ends of said moveable partitions together, door means moveably supported on said opposite side of said room, door jamb means on the free end of at least one of said moveable partitions for cooperating with said door means, a pair of Vanities built into said one side wall respectively adjacent the bed closets and on the sides of the latter remote from said stub partition, the portions of said moveable partitions between the free ends thereof and the bed mounting means respectively masking said Vanities, said last-named portions each having door openings therethrough, and access doors pivotally mounted in said door openings and overlying said Vanities in the retracted positions of the moveable partitions.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, and rollers adjacent the outer ends of the moveable partitions and rollably supporting the free ends of the partitions on the floor.

3. A bed and partition construction comprisa room having an opposed stub partition in one of said side walls spaced substantially midway of the ends thereof, a vanity built into said side wall and spaced from said stub partition, the space between said Vanity and saidstub partition constituting a bed closet, a moveable partition having one end pivotally supported in said room adjacent the free end of said stub partition, vertical pivot means for supporting said one end of said moveable partition, said moveable partition being swingable about said pivot means between a retracted position in which the latter lies substantially parallel to said side wall and masks said bed closet and vanity and an extended position in which said moveable partition lies substantially transverse of said room and divides said room into two sub-chambers of substantially equal size, an upwardly pivoting bed having one end thereof pivotally supported on said partition adjacent the pivoted end thereof whereby to nest in said bed closet when said moveable partition is retracted, door means in said moveable partition adjacent the free end thereof for providing ing, in combination,

access to said vanity when said moveable partition is retracted, the other of said side walls having an opening generally midway thereof whereby the free end of said moveable portion lies opposite said opening when said partition is extended, and a collapsible door comprising a plurality of .hinged sections mounted on said other side Wall adjacent the opening therein, said collapsible door lbeing extensible to and engageable with the free end of said moveable partition and collapsible to a position alongside said other side Wall.

4. In combination, agenerally rectangular house having front, rear and opposite side walls and a central interim partition dividing the house into two main chambers, the opposite ends of one of said chambers constituting a, kitchen and bathroom, respectively and the intermediate portion of said one chamber constituting a, dinette, said interior partition having an opening therethrough opposite said intermediate portion, a stub partition projecting inwardly from the side wall of the other main chamber of the house substantially mid-way of the ends thereof, a

bed closet and vanity arranged along said other side Wall in the space between said stub partition and one of said front and rear walls, and a moveable partition having one end pivotally supported in said hous-e adjacent the free end of said stub partition, said moveable partition being swingable about its pivotal support between a retracted position in which it lies parallel to the adjacent side Wall and masks said bed closet and vanity and an extended position in which it extends substantially across said other chamber virtually to divide the same into tWo subchambers.

DICK A. HUNT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the leof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,174,264 Merrill Mar. 7, 1916 1,513,662 Wheelock Oct. 28, 1924 1,758,291 McKnew May 13, 1930 

